This invention relaters generally to the field of refrigerated coolers for serially dispensing packaged beverages, such as carbonated sodas, fruit juices, and the like. More particularly, it relates to an improved track arrangement for serially moving containers to a point of disengagement by a user.
The present state of the art is highly developed, and diverse attempts have been made to cope with the long-standing problems involved with such structures. Among the most prominent are those related to maximum utilization of available space within the cooler, trouble-free operation, and the need to provide for dispensing older stock in preference to newer stock. It is also desirable that inlet and outlet locations be substantially adjacent, to permit front loading where the cooler is installed against a vertical wall, as is commonly the case.
The need for dispensing on a first in, first out basis is recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,016 to Eaton, dated Mar. 17, 1970. This patent describes a U-shaped channel of relatively short length in which the containers are supported at a bottom surface, and the channel has no provision for gravity feeding of the containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,665 discloses a U-shaped storage channel for supporting necked bottles within a channel which engages the transfer ring on the neck of the bottle. The channel is supported at an angle for gravity feed. However, both rectilinear segments of the channel are angled in the same direction, so that both free ends serve as both a feeding inlet and a dispensing outlet. Thus, unless care is taken to consistently use only one of the ends for loading, old stock can accumulate in the area of the U-shaped segment of the channel.